BEIJING, Jan. 9 -- Heavy air pollution is likely to affect the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region next Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the latest air quality forecast released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) on Saturday.

Apart from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, parts of Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and Inner Mongolia, all in north China, will be hit by air pollution in various degrees during the same period.

The forecast is made by the China National Environmental Monitoring Center (CNEMC) as a new year routine started on Jan. 1, 2016.

The CNEMC began issuing air quality forecast for three key regions, including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions, provincial regions and major cities starting this year.

The public now have access to the five-day air quality forecast for the three key regions, three-day forecast for provincial regions, both 24-hour and 48-hour forecasts for major cities, as well as real-time air quality readings for major cities.

The forecast is publicized and updated on the official website of the CNEMC, www.cnemc.cn.